Before Columbus: The Americas of 1491 is the companion book for young readers by the author of 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus, Charles Mann. This 117-page book covers the history of the Americas and the Indigenous Peoples prior to the arrival of Columbus and extends to the period of the Pilgrims and Tisquantum (Squanto). Through numerous archival images and paintings created by Europeans the author attempts to answer the long-held American myth that the United States was a barren wilderness prior to Columbus. He synthesizes research findings from historians, anthropologists and archaeologists into an accessible book aimed toward the middle school reader. The book contains a simple Glossary and comprehensive Index, as well as Further Reading, and Websites. Accelerated Reader:Level: 8.1; Scholastic Reading Counts: Level: 9.2.